Bank robber shot during holdup is sentenced to prison

Michael S. Oliva was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison for trying to rob a Missouri bank last year. Oliva’s holdup of the bank in Trimble, Mo., was halted by a bank employee who shot him in the face.

In the list of bad days in his life, two might stand out for Michael S. Oliva.

One was Wednesday, when a federal judge sentenced the 36-year-old Kansas resident to five years and three months in prison for trying to rob a Missouri bank last year.

The second would be March 4, 2013, when Oliva’s holdup of that bank in Trimble, Mo., was halted by a bank employee who shot him in the face.

Oliva was carrying a plastic replica pistol when he entered the bank and ordered a teller to hand over money. The teller instead dropped to the floor and yelled for help. Hearing the commotion, another bank employee, who held a permit to carry a concealed weapon, unconcealed the .357-caliber handgun and fired two shots, one striking Oliva in the jaw.

Oliva fled the bank, leaving behind a trail of blood that ended in the parking lot. A car chase ensued into the Kansas City area, where officers used stop sticks to puncture Oliva’s car tires.